The world shifted back to normal around the quartet. The exchanged triumphant smiles...
...then all but Sumire slumped into their seats.
She looked from one to the other, shocked, before sitting next to Ren.
At least that part's different from yesterday, he thought to himself. She gave him a worried look that he waved off with a smile.
"It's fine. Today was better than before."
She was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "That's true...does everyone else feel the same?"
Hanako and Morgana nodded as well, the latter also hopping onto the couch between the teenagers.
"Well, now that we have our route, we - "
" - oh, we need to send the calling card, correct?"
The trio looked up at a beaming Hanako.
"...yeah; that's correct, Hanako-san." Morgana nodded. "Of course, we still haven't gotten any new information about the Ruler, that's unfortunate..."
"Um!"
Now it was Sumire's turn to be the centre of attention. Her cheeks turned a faint pink under their three pairs of eyes.
"Um..." she repeated. "I...I want to try something. C - Can I write the calling card this time, please?"
Morgana perked up. "Wait, you know who to give it to?"
"Well...I'm not entirely sure, but if you don't know either... I - I just have a feeling..." she clenched her fists as she said the word. "I know it's not much to go on, but can you trust me, please? I know I'm not as good as Yusuke-senpai, but...I really want to do this!" She looked from Ren to Morgana and back again with glistening red orbs. The boys shared a look before returning her gaze.
"Well, if it's that important to you, we won't stop you." Ren smiled at her. She in turn beamed, stood and bowed to the both of them.
"Hey!" he laughed "you don't need to go that far!" He patted the space beside him. "Sit down, sit down!"
She did so with another faint blush.
"Besides," said Morgana as if nothing had happened. "It's not like we're trying to hide from all of Japan this time, so we don't need to be worried about perfect anonymity for this heist, you just need to get the point across and be 'secretive enough'. In fact, this is actually the best time to practice writing a calling card, not to mention it'd be good to have someone else learn how to do it as well: we can't keep relying on Yusuke forever. Or Ryuji," he added with a light shudder, "so go nuts!"
"Thank you so much, Senpais!" She didn't stand this time, but she still gave them a small bow from her seat. Ren and Morgana smiled at the sight.
"A calling card, huh?" said Hanako as Sumire raised her head again. "I was going to say this in the Palace, but I forgot: I remember seeing those on TV! You really are Phantom Thieves, huh? It's so stylish, I'm so excited!"
"Well, we still need to be on guard." Morgana hopped over Ren to stand on the end of the couch closest to Hanako. The Thieves' leader was impressed at the cat's sudden burst of energy but realised the current discussion was giving him a steady flow of adrenaline too. "That said," Morgana continued. "It's still a good idea to deal with this Palace as soon as possible, for Sumire's sake."
Hearing this, the redhead jumped to her feet and bowed before them again, half-shouting a "I'm so sorry!"
Ren winced at the sound and waved her back to her seat for the second time. "It's fine," he said once she sat down, patting the back of her left hand. "Besides, I think it's safe to say we're all curious about what's going on - isn't that right?"
He glanced at Morgana and Hanako.
They nodded.
He looked at Sumire.
She nodded too.
"See?" He smiled. "So we'd want to do this ASAP even if you weren't buying time for yourself."
"Well...I guess that's true..." Sumire turned her hand around and entwined her fingers in his. "But still! Please...don't rush into anything for my sake."
"Hey!" Hanako leaned forward with a smirk. "Aren't you the one who just told that Shadow girl we'd 'be back soon'?"
Sumire's cheeks turned pink again.
"Uh...u - um...well yeah, I do want to help whoever's Shadow that is as soon as possible, but..."
"Then it's settled, isn't it?" Ren patted her on the back. "Sumire, if you really think you know where to send that calling card, you have our blessing. We can even go to the Palace tomorrow if you want. Is that okay with everyone?" He looked at Morgana and Hanako, who nodded. He turned back to see Sumire watching them a moment longer, catching herself in the ensuing silence and giving him a hurried nod of her own. He smiled and squeezed her shoulder, then turned to the other woman in the room. "This is going to be dangerous Hanako-san, but you've improved so much in such a short time that...I think we can do this."
Hanako's face lit up like a beacon at the praise and she nodded once more, now with added vigor. "I'll make sure not to betray your trust in me."
"Okay then!" He smiled back at her and pushed himself to his feet, biting back a groan as dull pains burst into life across his limbs. "Meeting adjourned, everyone! Let's get as much rest as we can today - athletes exempted unless they think they need it, of course - " he winked at the sole athlete in the room and she flashed him a shy smile in return "so we can infiltrate the Palace tomorrow. And with that..." he bent his arms and windmilled his elbows as he shook his legs. Much better. "I think I can walk home today, Hanako-san. We got a proper night's rest this time after all, and I don't want to intrude on you again - "
"Absolutely not!" Ren almost tripped over himself at the sound of her voice as she jumped to her feet with her hands on her hips, wearing a deep scowl. "You're going to sleep right now, mister. Don't think I can't see you trying to act all cool and tough there. That may work on Sumire-chan but it won't work on me!"
Ren's jaw dropped and hung there. From the corner of his eye he saw the same had happened to Sumire, though she also had a faint blush to go along with her expression. A few seconds passed before he and Sumire burst into laughter. He spotted the horrified look on Morgana's face as he looked at Hanako from his perch, the older woman now standing with folded arms, before hopping off the couch and slinking away to behind Ren's legs.
"Is that what I used to sound like..?" He heard the cat mutter.
Ren groaned as he opened his eyes. He tried to sit up, but felt the familiar weight of a sleeping Morgana on his gut, keeping him bedbound. He yawned and looked to his right. A sharp pang of something filled him as his sleepy gaze took in the distinct lack of red-headed kouhais beside him.
Wait, why does that make me feel so...empty? After all, she was probably just making a snack or talking to Hanako or something. Besides, Morgana was making him feel like he'd just got back from the Wilton Buffet, so...
Get it together, you sleepy dolt.
He tried to lift Morgana off of himself, but in doing so woke him up instead. He apologised, but the cat just stretched, looked around hopped onto the carpet. Ren smiled.
"You know you can get some more sleep if you need it, right?"
"N - naaaahhh," Morgana yawned. "I'm up. I'm ready to go if you are. Come on, let's go find Sumire."
"Heh. If you say so." Thanks, kitty.
...you know me too well.
The pair lumbered into the hallway, Ren stifling a yawn of his own, and heard muffled voices further down it. The pair exchanged glances at started walking. They walked past the stairs they'd climbed what felt like ages ago now and arrived in front of a door that Ren assumed was Hanako's room, given the voices - now loud enough to distinguish - he could make out behind it. He pushed it open and sure enough there was a pouting Hanako in a nightdress trying to...
Huh?
He took in the scene again. Right now Hanako was half-wrestling a Sumire that was currently tucked into what he assumed was Hanako's own bed. He chuckled and walked inside, his presence breaking Sumire's attention for the moment Hanako needed to push her flat. Ren sat on the edge of the mattress and patted the top of the younger girl's head, who in turn blushed and covered it with her quilt. He muffled a second laugh and looked up to see an exasperated look on Hanako's face.
"Thank goodness you're here, Ren-kun: she keeps saying she doesn't need to rest because she's 'used to strenuous activity as a gymnast'!"
"I am!" came a muffled cry. Ren bit his lip.
"Well, she does handle physical activity better than the rest of us," he told Hanako before turning to the outline of a face behind him. "But you can take it easy if you want to Sumire, you know that, right?"
The redhead poked her eyes out, the quilt tugging slightly against the tip of her small nose as he continued.
"You're working hard too, you're allowed to take a power nap before you go to practive. And let us coddle you, for crying out loud! You looked after all three of us yesterday, remember?"
Her forehead turned bright red and she mumbled something that sounded a lot like "Please don't say it like that." It was muffled slightly by the blanket, but he was sure he heard correctly.
"Like...what?"
"C - c - coddling!" Even through the blanket he could make out that she was pouting. "But if you're sure, um...I would like a nap..."
"Now was that so hard?" Hanako smirked before stretching. "Alright then: we won't coddle you, but we'll treat you to some extra special care instead. How about that?" She winked and walked to the door, she paused with a hand on it. "Oh, I'll have some fruit salad ready for you when you wake up, okay? Sleep tight, Princess!"
She shut the door behind her. Ren looked back at Sumire and patted her head until she poked the rest of her tomato-colored face out, chuckling to himself.
"Well, tomorrow's the big day," he murmured, stroking her bangs to one side. "Are you sure you're ready? We have more time if you want it; you don't need to feel guilty or that you have to rush to do this."
"No, I'm ready. And I want to do this quickly." Her eyes hardened for a moment. "Tomorrow we send the calling card and save...whoever it is that needs to be saved. It'll help Hanako-san too, right? I know she has a Persona now, but this Palace appeared inside hers, so..."
"I don't know," Morgana jumped on the bed and curled up beside her. "This is completely new to me too, but...this Palace had to have done something to her to do that..."
"Hmm..." Sumire nodded. "Also, I've been wondering this since we started climbing it yesterday, but...the tower appeared where her school used to be, didn't it? That's where we fought two of those large Shadows too. So if the tower appeared there and not in some random location then...it has to be related to her somehow, right? Maybe Makoto-senpai and Futaba-senpai were correct about what they said before?"
"About that being where she lost her memory?" Ren toyed with a lock of his hair. "It'd make sense. She said she lost it eight years ago, give or take, and she even said she was in high school at the time. I reckon she'd have been the same age that Shadow appears to be too..."
Morgana perked up and looked at him, then Sumire. "So we're all on the same page, huh?" He asked, turning back to Ren.
"But that doesn't make sense," he replied. "She already has a Persona, so how could she have a Shadow? Didn't you say Shadows and Personas the same thing?"
"Yeah, they are. That's what confuses me too."
Sumire tried to sit up but Ren pressed a hand against her forehead. She pouted at him, cheeks tinged pink all of a sudden, and lay back down before turning her head to the side so she could face the feline.
"But didn't you say you had a theory, Morgana-senpai?"
"Yeah I did, but...I'm still not sure about it." Morgana brushed his whiskers. "You...you do your thing first, Sumire. I'm worried I'll make a mess of things if my hunch is wrong.
Sumire nodded and stifled a yawn. "Okay, Morgana-senpai..." She curled up and Ren smiled as she closed her eyes.
"Very noble of you, Morgana." He murmured.
"Oh, be quiet."
Sumire awoke an hour later to feel Ren's hand stroking her back as she scrolled through his phone, still sitting on the edge of the bed. She yelped and sprang away from him, cheeks burning. Right on cue, Hanako threw the door open and leaned in, taking in the sight before placing her hand in front of her mouth. It was a poor attempt to hide her laughter, but Ren suspected that was the point.
"Ah, I thought I heard the sound of a fair maiden being awoken from her slumber by a charming prince." She marched into the room as if she owned the place - which she did, now that he thought about it - and placed a bottle of water in Sumire's hands without waiting for a response, not that she could form one through her sudden spluttering, then spun on her heel and walked back to the door. "I just wanted to drop the water off, but if you three are up already, come on down! I'll get the salad ready for you. I have some for you too, Morgana!"
"Ooh, thank you!" Morgana stretched. "It's nice to be treated like a human for a change. How are you feeling, Sumire?"
"Um...I feel fully refreshed!" She smiled through her blush and sat up straight. "U - um, thank you for the opportunity, Hanako-san. And - uh...um!" Her face turned completely scarlet. "Th - thank you for p - patting me, Ren-s - senpai!"
Ren chuckled, but Hanako spoke before he could.
"He's a real gentleman, isn't he? I so envy you, Sumire-chan. I feel myself swoon every time I look at that smile of his."
She closed the door with a parting wink. Sumire and Ren exchanged glances - one shy, one awkward, both deeply embarrassed - before a scoff from Morgana brought them to their senses.
"Hurry up, let's go! Our salad awaits!"
The teens followed the cat to the dining room to see Hanako adding the finishing touches - a soft, white cream - to a bowl and three small plates of fresh fruit, the fruit on one of the plates having been peeled. This she placed on the floor when Morgana approached and he licked his lips.
"I love it already!"
The humans sat at the table and Sumire bit her lip when Hanako slid the bowl in front of her.
"Um...I'm sorry." The younger girl mumbled.
"Not at all," Hanako smiled. "You do more work, you get more food. That's how it works right? I mean, that's how it's always worked, hasn't it? From all the way back in the olden days!" She stuck her tongue out. Sumire flashed her a shy smile.
"Um...I don't think that's the same thing, but...thank you." The four of them said their prayers and she stuck her fork into a slice of apple and dipped it in cream before raising it to her mouth. She took a small bite and her pink lips split into a wide smile. "Oh, this is delicious! Senpai! Morgana-senpai! You need to try this!"
"W - wayy aghead o' - " Morgana swallowed. "Way ahead of you! You're great with this stuff, Hanako-san!"
"Oh, shush..." Hanako blushed and scratched her cheek. Ren took a bite of his own and couldn't help the smile that spread across his own face either. He looked up to see Hanako watching him. He widened his smile for her and she beamed back, only now taking her first bite. He looked back at Sumire tearing through her small mountain and noticed that, despite giving the girl three to four times as much fruit as him or herself, Hanako had still only used the same amount of cream for them all. Not only was she a great cook, it seemed she was a fast learner outside the Metaverse too.
He, Morgana and Hanako ate their fills, then waited for Sumire to have hers. A few contented stretches later, the teens packed up and said their farewells, Morgana poking his head out of Ren's bag. Hanako waved them off from her doorstep as she'd done the day before, only going back inside once they'd passed from sight.
Ren in turn took Sumire to practice, where they were greeted by a frowning Hiraguchi.
"You were almost later again, Sumire."
"I - I'm so sorry, Coach!" She bowed. "Um...I slept in today and...and I got in a little later than I would have liked..."
Ren bit his lip. "Uh, that was my fault," he held out an arm in front of the apologising girl. Maybe they shouldn't have forced her to take a nap?
But Hiraguchi just waved her arm. "You can get up, Sumire. I said you were 'almost' late, you're fine."
"O - oh." She stood, cheeks wearing a faint hint of pink. "Um...thank you Coach. I'm ready to work hard today, if you'll have me!"
Hiraguchi rolled her eyes and Ren made out the slight spasms of a smile before she forced her face into its familiar stern look.
"Of course. Well, shall we get started?"
"Yes!" She got up from her second bow and leaned into Ren. "I'll prepare it Senpai," she whispered. "Please trust me." He smiled and nodded at her, spotting confusion flash across Hiraguchi's face from behind her shoulder.
He appreciated her not asking any questions as she led her student away.
He spent the rest of the day preparing how he could, which mostly meant buying medicine, crafting tools...and hiding or destroying the evidence. Hanako had offered to prepare snacks this time; that was a load off his back, at least.
Tuesday, 8th May
Just as he had yesterday, Ren picked Sumire up from his house after the last of his lectures. She was dressed to go out as before, but this time he caught her in the spare bedroom, trying to squeeze a pink envelope into her jacket without creasing it, Morgana at her feet. He called her name and she screamed, almost tripping over herself as she jumped back. It was only due to her innate grace that she stayed upright and could identify him, taking a deep breath once she realised who had called her.
"O - oh, Senpai! Y - y - you're back! How was school? I - I mean college?"
"...it was fine..." he raised an eyebrow and crouched, holding his bag open so Morgana could slip inside. He greeted the cat and the cat replied in turn as he stood back up. He pointed to the envelope just as Sumire got it into her pocket. "Is that the calling card?"
"Um...yes."
"Great! Can I see it?"
"Um...no."
She blushed. Ren blinked a few times but she just stood there, avoiding his gaze and letting her cheeks burn brighter and brighter. He felt a faint tapping on his shoulder and turned to feel Morgana press his whiskers against his ear.
"She didn't let me see it either," the cat whispered. "She's still a better pick for the job than Ryuji, but should we be worried?"
"Uh..." Ren met Sumire's nervous eyes with the corner of his own. "...how bad could it possibly be?" He stood up straight again and held out his hand to the apple of his eye. "Well, shall we?"
She beamed - whether she was happy at the gesture or because he'd dropped the subject he couldn't tell - and placed her fingers over his.
"Let's!"
A short walk later the four Thieves were assembled in Hanako's living room, where the older woman handed Ren a bag containing boxes of pre-chopped fruits and vegetables along with left-over snacks from the day before. He wondered if she had simply decided to prepare everything herself or if there was a deeper reason for her to stay indoors again, but chose not to question it. After all, she'd only had her heart changed two days ago: Futaba had made some grand gestures at first too, but she'd still needed help to stablize her new-found confidence. There was nothing wrong with that.
He thanked her for the rations and stashed them with his other supplies, then turned to Sumire. He called her name and she jumped. He gave her a second to compose herself, then continued.
"So, who are you going to give the calling card to?"
"Oh! Uh...um..."
Ren fought the urge to smile at the sight. Fortunately, Morgana piped up and spared him from maintaining his plain expression for long. "Actually Sumire, I know I asked you to try your idea first, but now that we're here - "
"You want to do your thing first? You really are noble, Mona."
"Not now, Ren!" Morgana cleared his throat. "Could you try giving the card to Hanako-san, please?"
"Me?" Hanako pointed to herself."
"Right," Morgana nodded. "We don't know much about this Palace, but it first appeared in yours, right? So I think there's a chance that you're ruling it subconsciously. It doesn't explain the Shadow person we saw in there, but it's all I can think of right now."
"I...see. Hmm..." Hanako frowned and looked down for a few seconds, but shook her expression clear before anyone could speak. "Well, I'm willing to try if you are, Sumire-chan. May I?" She held out her hand.
...Sumire took a half-step back and raised a hand to her mouth, cheeks on fire just like that. "A - already?! Ah...uh..." She swallowed and stood up straight again, putting a hand into her pocket and holding it open with the other. "Um...okay then...ngh!" she pulled the letter out with a soft grunt and handed it to her with trembling fingers. "Um...he - here you go..."
Hanako received the letter with a smile and turned the envelope over, slitting it open with her finger - wait, Sumire'd sealed it? Hanako pulled out the card within. Ren and Morgana exchanged horrified glances: the card was bright pink too. They turned back to see Hanako read it, her smile widening with each line until she looked up again.
"Oh, this is such a lovely letter, Sumire-chan! It has your fingerprints all over it!"
"Wha - what? I - it's...lovely? I - uh - !"
Sumire's stuttering cost her, as it meant Ren held out his hand before she could. Hanako gave it to him, either missing or ignoring Sumire's moan and half-hearted attempt to snatch it mid-transit. Morgana leaned in from his perch on his shoulder as Ren received the card, back first. It was thick cardboard with faint traces of glitter running across it; she'd probably gotten it from an arts and crafts store.
Actually, I think I know exactly which one...
A small shop in the town centre swam in front of his mind's eye as he turned the card around. She'd written the message herself, with incredible handwriting to boot:
To whom it may concern,
We have seen the distortion in your heart and wish to save both you and a dear friend of ours from it, so we will be stealing your tortured desires very soon. Please wait for us. We promise to set both of you free. You don't need to suffer in silence anymore.
With warmest regards,
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
She'd even doodled a gymnastics baton right next to the signature, with its ribbon forming a border along the edge of the card. Ren and Morgana were silent for a full minute before the latter spoke - and even that came after a long sigh.
"Uh...I know I said we didn't have to worry too much about being anonymous, but that just meant there was no pressure if you got it a little wrong! You were still supposed to try! You know being anonymous is why we use newspaper cutouts, right? Plus, you're being way too polite! A - and that little sketch of yours? That makes it way too obvious who you are! Imagine if this went public, you're the only kind-hearted gymnast in this town! And all anyone wouldd need is your signature from that sports meet of yours to prove it!"
Sumire clapped her mouth shut and bowed. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Morgana-senpai! I thought it'd be okay to make it more personal after what you said yesterday, but I didn't realise you wanted it to be a test! I - I..." she looked up, eyes strained. "I'm such a disgrace to the Phantom Thieves' name!" She bowed again. Morgana recoiled. He sagged on the spot and glanced at Ren before opening his mouth again.
"Uh...h - hey, don't be sad! I - it's really good for a first attempt! It's really pretty too, and your handwriting is so neat! I don't think even Haru or Makoto's writing is as neat as yours! Ren!" He hissed the last word to his partner. "I messed up big time! Say something!"
Ren tried not to laugh, thankful that Sumire wasn't looking as he struggled to get his stomach under control enough to join in the conversation. "Morgana's right about that last part: this really is great for a first attempt and it's fine that you wanted it to be polite. Besides, this is much better than Ryuji cursing Kamoshida out with his first calling card." He could resist smiling at the memory. "So relax! It's all good. Don't you agree, Hanako-san?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Like him, she too tried not to laugh as she placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "In fact, could you make me one like this too, Sumire-chan? I'd love to keep it as a souvenir once this is all done!"
Sumire whined as she straightened up to look at her. "But...but that's the exact opposite of how you should feel about a calling card! Right?" She turned to the more experienced Thieves. Ren nodded.
"Yep. Actually, Futaba kept hers too."
"Really, Senpai?"
"Y - yeah, that's right!" Ren winced at the volume of Morgana's sudden outburst, but kept quiet: it was obvious where his sudden enthusiasm was coming from. "So don't feel bad about it. I stand by what I said before: it's healthy for the Phantom Thief organization to have more members who can make cards than just Yusuke! A - and...I think there's a lot of potential here too! If we workshop this one, I think we could have a really nice alternate style for whenever we want to act but can't use our original style of card for whatever reason!"
That's pushing it a bit, Ren thought to himself. Sumire looked from one boy to the other with a cloudy expression. Ren wondered if she was thinking the same thing. Whether she was or not though, she eventually smiled, though she still sniffed a little.
"O - okay..."
Ren smiled back.
"...that aside," said Morgana, turning to the other woman in the room. "Do you feel any different after seeing the card, Hanako-san? I don't know, do you feel more tense or anything?"
"Hmm...not really. To be honest, I'm still trying to get over how sweet it was. Oh! I - I mean..!" she turned, but Sumire was already hiding her face again with a low moan. Hanako scratched her cheek with an embarrassed smile and fell silent.
"I see..." Morgana frowned and turned to Ren. "You don't feel anything either, do you Ren?"
He shook his head. Usually whenever someone received a calling card, those near them who were familiar with the Metaverse would get a glimpse of their Shadow's rage. Perhaps it was because they were in tune with their own Shadows? Regardless, the only exception to this rule was Dr. Maruki, because he didn't have a Shadow. But even then, Ren had felt a sense of pressure emanating from him as the calling card took effect. Here, he'd felt nothing.
Ren turned to Sumire, but she too shook her head. Morgana sighed.
"Well, I guess it's not your Palace after all then," he said. "It looks like your idea's up next then, Sumire." Ren handed the card back to her. Hanako in turn returned the envelope. Sumire put the card back in its protective sleeve and tucked it into her pocket, safe and sound.
"Thank you, everyone." She nodded to each of them in turn. "Um...but if my hunch is right, I think the Ruler will be waiting for us in the Palace."
"Huh?" Morgana tilted his head. Ren frowned, but an idea flashed into his head of who she might have had in mind.
But surely not?
"Please trust me," Sumire said again to Thieves' mentor. "I was thinking this over overnight too and...and I'm sure this'll work!"
Ren and Morgana exchanged glances, then nodded at her in unison.
"If you're sure, then there's nothing we have left to say, Sumire." Ren smiled. She smiled back, her lips stretching so far up her cheeks he was tempted to reach out and cup them.
Morgana coughed and he snapped back to attention.
Focus!
He shook his head, taking his phone out of his pocket at the same time. "Uh...so that's that then, shall we - "
"Ooh, if Sumire-chan's in charge, shouldn't she be the one to press the button?"
"I - in charge?!" Sumire stepped back again. "I - I can't be in charge!"
"Good idea!" Ren tucked his phone away with a smile. "You wanna do the honors, Violet?"
"B - b - but!"
"Don't think too hard about it," offered Morgana. "Just take us to the Metaverse. You know we'll be here to back you up if anything goes wrong, right?"
"R - right..."
Sumire took in the three smiling faces before her before she steadied her breath and smiled back at them. She took out her phone and opened the bookmarks page. She poised her delicate thumb over the screen and was about to touch down when -
Hanako yelped.
"Oh, I forgot my naginata! Gimme a sec!"
She ran to the wall, grabbed her long spear and ran back to the small circle Ren just realised they'd formed without noticing as he and Morgana chuckled and Sumire failed to hold back a laugh. Hanako knocked the side of her head and poked her tongue out by means of apology, then prompted Sumire to use the app again. The gymnast did so, tapping the still censored entry on her phone. The world distorted around them, the waves of black and red light fading in time to reveal the moonlit Palace once more.
They were back on the staircase leading to the marble entrance to the tower, mere feet from the abyss.
"We fly up now, right?" asked Hanako.
Sumire nodded. "Yes. If I'm correct, that is."
"Alright then!" Morgana grimaced. "...oh, I hope this works..."
Before anyone could question him, he leapt into the air and transformed. The Mona Copter burst into existence before them, an open door inviting them as it lowered, dipping slightly below the final step. The entire vehicle shuddered as Morgana let out a rasping gasp. "I - It worked, right? I'm not dissolving, am I? If I am I'm totally blaming you, Melody! I - "
"What the... Mona - Mona, relax!" Ren cut him off, hands gesturing to him as if he were a wild animal. "You look fine from here. Why, do you feel weird?"
"...actually, no. I still feel okay. Huh. I guess I was worried about nothing. Sorry about that, everyone."
Ren snorted. "Then we're good." He turned to one side and motioned for the two girls to enter the helicopter before closing the door shut behind him.
"Um...why did you say you would blame me, Mona?" Ren heard Hanako ask.
"O - oh, for...for saying I could try transforming in midair yesterday. Sorry..."
"Oh. That's okay. I'm glad the idea helped though!"
"Yeah...it did, didn't it?"
Ren fought back a smile as he sat down. "Now that that's been cleared up..."
Oh, oh right! Forgive my tardiness, Thieves! I should have known better than to - "
"Mona, it's fine. Just fly!"
"...right!"
The helicopter rose, giving its passengers a vertical panoramic view of the demented tower. Ren noticed Sumire's eyes locked on the structure and he turned on the spot to join her silent vigil. If she was right and the tower's Ruler was waiting for them at its peak...then this would be their last time looking at it, for better or for worse.
No.
It wouldn't do to think about negatives at this point. It's true they had no idea what to expect from this place...but that was all the more reason to keep his brave face on, right? He shook his head and spent the rest of the flight handing out small pouches of supplies to the others, placing Morgana's in a small compartment just inside the right-hand door.
Oh, right. I wonder if that litter is still here...
Morgana reached the peak of the tower and hovered over the pillars. Due to checking his equipment Ren didn't understand why the cat-turned-helicopter wasn't moving horizontally until he looked outside his window to see the Shadow standing in the middle of the marble tiling again.
"Wait. You don't think she's been here this whole time, do you?" he muttered. Sumire, who already looked worried at the sight of the girl, gasped at the thought and slid the door open, holding a handrail with all her might at the sudden blast of wind that rushed inside. She tried to shout to the strange figure, but whether it was because of the distance or the wind - or simply because the girl was ignoring her again - her words had no effect. She bit her lip as the winds died down. Ren felt his ears pop with the change in pressure, but before he could act Hanako let out a fake sigh and nudged him to one side, shouting a "Look out below!" before jumping out of the helicopter, a hand holding her black skirt in place as she fell.
Ren and Sumire exchanged shocked glances, looking back in time to see Hanako land with a crouch and wave at them with a familiar grin on her face visible even from this height. The teens exchanged another pair of surprised looks.
"Well, it's only a few metres, right? We've done far riskier stuff than this."
"...that's true..."
Ren and Sumire nodded to each other, then slid out of the helicopter after their older comrade-in-arms, hearing Morgana pop back into cat form behind them. They landed in similar crouches and heard Morgana land between them a second later, the trio joining Hanako in looking around.
"So?" asked Morgana. "Where's the Ruler, Violet?"
"Um..." she dug into the pocket of her new jacket and pulled out the envelope, much easier than she had with her original clothes. She slipped the card out of the paper and hugged it to her chest. She took a deep breath. "If I'm right..."
She walked up to the Shadow.
And bowed.
Morgana folded his arms, but Ren waved one of his own to shush him before he could let out more than a confused "Huh?" The cat looked up at his leader and saw Ren devoting his full attention to the still bowing Sumire. Morgana followed suit just as Sumire built up the courage to speak.
"I..." she began, still bowing to the silhouette. "Uh...excuse me, Shadow-san!"
Until now the Shadow had simply been looking skyward, but now her head tilted ever so slightly in Sumire's direction. If the Shadow had visible eyes, Ren figured she'd be looking at Sumire from the corner of one of them; the majority of her attention was clearly still laser-focused on the white orb above them.
"I...um...I - I want to give you this!" Sumire held out the calling card with both hands, raising her head just enough to see the Shadow's.
There was a pause.
With a deliberate pace, the Shadow took the card from her and read it.
"I..." Sumire stood up straight, though the Shadow's gaze was still locked to the small sheet in her hands. "I wrote everything on the card, but we really want to help you. I'm sorry for saying this - I don't know if it'll make you feel uncomfortable or not - but everything here feels so...so sad. I - I really hope stealing this Treasure goes a long way towards making you feel better! I'm sorry, I know it's easier said than done, but - "
She fell silent as the Shadow raised her head and - for the first time that day - looked her in the eye.
A searing white light burst into existence above them.
Sumire and the Thieves looked up, squinting through their fingertips as an orb of light descended from the sky. Above it, they could see the moon. Full, magnificent, so large it felt like they could reach out and touch it and white for the first time since the tower had appeared.
"Woah..." muttered Morgana at last as the three other Thieves walked over to Sumire. The girl turned at the sound of their footsteps and met them halfway, a hand over her eyes and a wide smile on her lips. "Did you actually just give a calling card to a Shadow? And did it actually work?"
"Um...yes?" She smiled at the cat, then turned back to the Shadow who had returned to looking at the sky even as the Treasure drew closer and closer and blotted it out with its own luster, calling card hanging from one of her hands. "She's a Shadow, but she's still a part of whoever our target is, right? So isn't giving her a calling card the same as giving one to her counterpart in the real world?"
"I...I didn't think that was possible..."
"It would have saved a lot of time with some of our heists," Ren smiled. "Well done, Violet." He gave her a series of gentle pats on the back. "This is the second time your fresh perspective has come through for us."
"Thank you, Senpai!" Sumire inclined her head towards him and beamed, but her eyes were still locked on the Shadow. The Treasure's light was dimming, yet the Shadow was still a solid black. Morgana hissed.
"I...I just never thought of it, okay? Besides, if all we had to do was change a Shadow's cognition to change a Palace, then why - "
"The Treasure's here!"
Even Sumire looked up at Hanako's shout. The shining orb had stopped at chest height. Now that the light had dimmed, Ren noticed it had shrunk to the size of one of their heads during its descent. But just as the thought registered, it flared up again. He shielded his eyes and heard the others yelp around him. He turned away but the insides of his eyelids still burned bright orange for several seconds before the glare died down for a second time. He opened them just in time to see something white and thin drop to the floor, spinning in a loose circle for a few seconds like a fallen coin as the last flickers of light disappeared as it fell flat at the Shadow's feet, exposed to them for the first time.
"A...mask, huh?" Ren muttered. "I guess we should have seen that coming."
But unlike the plain masks worn by the Shadows in this Palace and those in the island Palace, this one resembled a European theatre mask, specifically a Comedy one. It was plain white and molded in the outline of a face, with the only markings being two eye holes and a small smile that had been carved out of it.
For a few seconds, everyone simply looked at it. The mask looked up at the moon, its mouth parted in a permanent half-gesture.
Then the Shadow bent down, her movements still slow, and picked it up. She turned the mask over in her hands as she stood up and held it in front of her face, like a curious child picking something up at a souvenir shop.
Another second passed.
Then Morgana gasped.
"Oh no, someone stop her!"
But in the time it took for the other Thieves to look at him and back, the Shadow had placed the mask on her face.
For yet another second, there was silence.
Then the air around the girl exploded. The Thieves crossed their arms over their faces as the ensuing gales of wind blasted them back, their feet skidding against the floor. Hanako stopped first, crouching against the wind enough to regain her footing. She moved behind Sumire to stop her, who in turn grabbed Ren's arm. Morgana grabbed his shin. The Thieves stood tall as the wind died down, but a second wave of power pulsed out of the Shadow. Instead of hitting them directly, this wave swirled around them, gathering a perfect ring of black clouds around the tower as the moon once again took on its green hue, coating them all in that familiar, sickly glow as they felt the might of the storm spinning around them.
The Thieves braced themselves against the wind blowing them to the side as black smoke billowed out from beneath the girl's feet. Sumire yelled and reached out to her, but the smoke shot into the air, now an ever-growing, ever-spiralling pillar.
"G - guys!" shouted Morgana against the raw energy buffeting them from every direction. "This is bad! Th - this thing's power level just shot through the roof!"
"Everyone, get ready!" Ren took out his knife and grit his teeth. The other Thieves brandished their weapons in turn. The stood firm against the winds yet again until one more shockwave burst out from the centre of the roof. The shockwave tore through both the black pillar and the pressure surrounding them, giving them a moment of silence as they saw the Shadow once again.
Her short ponytail had come undone, loose strands of hair now hanging over the theatre mask now covering her face. She wore a floor-length gown made up of black feathers beneath a grey corset that shimmered in the moonlight like metal, with matching elbow length gloves. For a fleeting moment, Ren imagined Sumire in such a dress. How utterly gorgeous would she be..?
He shook his head as the Shadow touched her mask. A blue haze covered her face for a moment before the sound of shattering glass filled the empty space between them. The haze disappeared. The mask still covered her silhouetted features, but a second, much larger mass of blue flames now exploded into existence behind her. The flames grew taller, taller, taller..
Ren felt his breath freeze in his chest as the fire coalesced into a new form. He tried to step toward it, but a second wave of pressure forced him back in line with the rest of his team.
First came the feet: long white cylinders with curved 'hooves' for feet. They reminded him of Orpheus', only instead of simple pieces of metal for thighs, this new figure's artificial legs included knee joints, with its thighs covered with simple pale golden fabric. Next came a white belt that billowed downward, with two large wing-like protrusions on either side of its legs, and a buckle resembling two interlocked hands. The back of the belt grew upward, starting at a wide diamond and rising higher, higher, higher... Ren heard Sumire gasp as the tip of the diamond appeared.
The diamond was so stretched out, so sharp...it was clear that it was in fact a sword, taller than both Ren and Sumire combined.
A torso came next, made of the same gold material as its thighs with a grey, metal ring around its waist and chest. From this sprouted two arms, with solid shoulders and hands and soft limbs connecting the two. The right hand was free, but a simple chain formed out of the ether and wrapped itself around its left arm, from the elbow down. The chain fell to its feet and, in a second flash, formed four, flat coffins, each bearing the figure of a saint standing above a long leaf. Each coffin hung from the chain, held tight to it directly behind each saint's head. A cloth appeared where the being's collarbone would be and expanded upward, forming a neck.
Finally, a face appeared, forcing its way through the small scarf like a hand through a sleeve. It appeared mechanical, as if three metal sheets had been fused together to make it. The boundaries between them were still visible, each running beneath one of its burning red, angular eyes. Though they had no pupils, the Thieves felt those same eyes look over each and every one of them, shuddering in turn as a long flowing mane of golden hair fell down the sides of its head.
The sapphire flames faded and Ren felt the aura preventing him from moving closer went with them, but even without Morgana's earlier warning, Ren could still feel the raw power radiating from the pair of figures standing before them.
The entire sequence of events had taken place in a matter of seconds, less than a minute, yet it felt like eons had passed. Ren spoke first - if you could call it that.
"H - how..." he spluttered. "How can a Shadow have a Persona?"
"I...I don't know!" He could hear Morgana's teeth chattering. "Maybe this is another Maruki situation! That thing we thought was the Shadow may have been the Ruler this whole time!"
"But..! W - why would she want to fight us?" Ren turned at the high pitch of Sumire's voice and was shocked to see tears in her eyes.
"Su - Violet..."
She didn't hear him, instead looking from one to the other as a few stray drops of water trailed paths under her mask. "I was so sure she wanted us to help her!"
He put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the sudden contact, but then her breathing drew steady. He could feel the touch having the same effect on him.
"We'll get to the bottom of this," he murmured to her, trying to keep his voice even. "I think you're right that she needs help, Violet. It just so happens that we need to come to an understanding with her first. Are you ready?"
"Senpai..." She raised her mask to rub her tears away. She lowered it once her face was dry at looked at him, fresh fires burning in her eyes instead. "Yes!" She turned to the Shadow and pointed her rapier at her. "I'm sorry about this whoever you are, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to save both you and my friend!" She crouched slightly, ready for battle. The others followed her lead, though Hanako spared a quick smile for the back of Sumire's head before she did so. She adjusted her grip on her naginata and slashed the air with it.
"I'm not sure what's going on," she grinned and tensed herself in preparation for battle again. "but I hope you're ready, Ms. Shadow-or-whatever-you-are." She jabbed the forefinger of her off-hand at their new foe. "'Cause we're gonna take your heart!"
A/N: This chapter is much later than normal, huh? I did a bit of research between the last chapter and this one (i.e. I read a bunch of stories, including the entirety Akane Minori's Life Will Change) and wanted to include some of the things I'd learned in this one. The result?
Well, the original draft of this chapter was 4051 words. Now it's 8348 words.
And thus what should have been an average-length chapter became the longest by far. I'm glad for the change, but I definitely need to manage my time better going forward :P
Please let me know what you think of the chapter, about the new style and content both: I'm always seeking to improve! Thank you so much for all your support, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!